


He Favors the Sea; He Prefers the Stars

by Padameese



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Astronomy, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Sailing, basically big handsome sailor, meets handsome astronomer, u cannot pass that up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26131423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Padameese/pseuds/Padameese
Summary: Renowned, star obsessed astronomer, Keith Kogane, would do anything he had to if it meant he was one step closer to making the next big discovery. There were countless stars and constellations begging to be found and–having always enjoyed the rush of a nice game of hide-and-seek–Keith's big plan was set in motion. Setting sail on the Shirogane in hopes of finding the next big star was a day long anticipated. However, certain meetings, certain people, and especially a certain captain leads Keith into perhaps pursuing a different mission—one filled with self-discovery, found family, and a lonely captain whose only love is the sea.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	He Favors the Sea; He Prefers the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello!! this has been something I had been meaning to begin my senior year of high school aaaand i am now a junior in college. this was inspired from me doing immense research on the marianas trench and finding an article titled, i believe, "she favors the sea; he prefers the stars"
> 
> i fell in love with the whimsical feeling of that title and though i take no credit for this title, i did, clearly, change it to better suit our boys! 
> 
> i am a very busy student //cries  
> so updates will be whenever i have time and the length of them will definitely differ !! the first chapter is smaller, but it's kind of like me testing the waters and seeing how we feel abt it, yeah? and i think it leaves a lot of room for wanting hoho

The long awaited arrival of the ship had finally come. As it docked along the side of the cobblestone port, the previously gathered families tried to inch closer and closer—husbands, wives, and children ridden with the eagerness to see their loved ones. Children cheered, erupting in choruses of celebration as the ship finally settled.

A wooden plank extended down onto the cobblestone path, providing a walkway for the eager sailors that wanted nothing more at that moment than to jump into the arms of their family. Down they walked, boots heavy against the wood, and a round of cheers sounded as they were graciously accepted into their families’ welcoming arms.

Keith watched idly from afar, wrapping his crimson cloak tighter around him. It was a tender moment, he knew. After being separated for months, the families were finally reunited—they were whole once again. 

But Keith didn’t care because that’s not why he was here. No, of course not. No one was coming home to see him.

In fact, Keith was here to do just the opposite. 

Instead of waiting for someone’s arrival, Keith was waiting until he was able to leave. It was the last thing he wanted to do, truthfully. Though he appreciated the delicacy of a ship’s design, he wasn’t too keen on the fact that he’d be stuck atop a vast sea for an undetermined amount of time. But in addition, he knew he’d be stuck on this long journey with a team of rugged sailors—a team, he knew, that could not–and would not–be quiet.

As an astronomer, Keith valued silence. It wasn’t essential to his work, no, but without silence, Keith had issues focusing. When his mind was muddled and plagued with endless amounts of white noise, he often lost track of where in the sky he was searching, or what he was even searching for. He couldn’t risk that on this trip. This trip was too important and he’d be damned if he let a few boastful sailors ruin what he had been planning for years.

Sighing, Keith picked up his luggage from where he had placed it on the ground, and he started his trek down the cobblestone— _down, down, down_ into the hoard of reunited families.

 **_Altea_ ** _,_ **_Galra_ ** _,_ **_Daibazaal_ ** _…_ Keith read as he passed the docked ships. Each ship he passed had a name more elegant than the last, but they weren’t the one he was looking for that day. No, _his_ ship had a name that didn’t quite fit in with the rest. **_Shirogane_**. The name had practically lived inside Keith’s mind ever since he had gotten the update on which ship he was to board. It wasn’t particularly unique and Keith hadn’t had a visceral reaction upon hearing it, but he found himself mulling over the name each night he had lied down to sleep until the day of the departure. Perhaps it was odd to explain in such a manner, but the only sense Keith could make of his attachment to the name was that it just _felt_ good to say. It rolled off the tongue far too easily, leaving him wanting to say it over and over until his voice was hoarse. The satisfaction he obtained from the name was similar to that of a cloudless sky that allowed for Keith to finally map that star he had been chasing for ages. He knew, somehow, that this ship would bring him to his next discovery—his next, big star.

The thoughts of his mystery star wavered as he finally came upon his cloudless sky. Etched beautifully into the side of the ship flashed the addictive name **_Shirogane._ **

Keith stopped in front of the ship and took a moment to stare. Having been the last ship lined up in the port, of course Keith wouldn’t have found it immediately, but it struck him silly, as he was able to see this ship was tremendous in size, and clearly housed a hefty crew. He watched as a team of sailors loaded cargo onto it. It… _was_ okay to just walk on, right? 

He peeked around the area, trying to see if he could notice anything that would give him even the slightest idea of what he was allowed to do, but nothing helped him. So, as he turned back, he decided that he wasn’t just going to wait around and be baked in the hot sun. He was supposed to be on this ship and he knew it.

Keith barely got one foot on the wooden plank.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing, kid?” Barked a sailor, arms filled with the boxes of cargo that he was stacking outside the ship. “Get outta here, we got work to do.” 

Keith stepped back, but he didn’t leave.

“This _is_ the ship **_Shirogane_ ,** yes?” Keith questioned, afraid he may have the wrong ship, even though the name was carved so blatantly onto the side.

“Yeah.” The sailor placed the boxes down before returning to grab more. “What’s it to you?”

A tic started in Keith’s jaw. This was ridiculous and insanely frustrating. 

“I’m Keith Kogane, the astronomer that’s supposed to join you on your next voyage,” He stated clearly, trying to convey through his tone, somehow, that not only did he know what he was talking about, but that he was also far more intelligent than the sailor.

“Astronomer?” The sailor repeated, eyebrows knitting in confusion. “I didn’t hear nothin’ ‘bout a damn astronomer. Now move it, kid-”

“Iverson.” 

Surprised by the new voice, Keith glanced behind the sailor–Iverson, he assumed–and caught sight of another man placing his hand on Iverson’s shoulder. 

“Your job is to pack cargo,” The stranger reminded. “Not to pick fights with others.” The stranger looked over at Keith now and smiled gently as he slid past Iverson. “I’m so sorry for the trouble, Keith.” At Keith’s clear confusion, the stranger chuckled, and held out a hand for greeting. “Takashi Shirogane. I’m the captain of this ship.”

Captain? Shirogane? 

Keith’s mind was racing. The name he had spent countless nights tasting on his tongue belonged to the very man that would lead his voyage. 

However, he’s nothing like what Keith imagined he would look like. Keith often heard that captains were strict and merciless, especially those that commanded military ships. And while this was a cargo ship, Keith still assumed that you’d have to have a strong presence, especially when it came to sailors like Iverson. But this man… wasn’t anything like that.

Though he was tall and had a broad body, his face was gentle, and his smile reached his eyes in a way that comforted Keith, especially after having been yelled at. He had long black hair, save for the handful of white strands, that was tied up and hanging down his back. His clothes weren’t all that extravagant and they even seemed to be fairly worn, what with a dusty looking beige tunic and brown trousers to match. Keith suddenly felt overdressed in his velvet cloak and black boots, even though it was what he usually wore.

Grabbing the man’s hand, Keith offered a smile, appreciative of the kindness. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Captain Shirogane.” He greeted.

Shiro chuckled and took his hand away so he could give a small dismissive wave. “I don’t like formalities. All my sailors call me Shiro, so you feel free to call me that, too. It makes living with each other much easier when we’re all regarded as friends.” 

_That’s odd_ , Keith found himself thinking, curious about the lack of leadership Shiro seemed to display, but he didn’t question it, figuring it wouldn’t pertain to him anyways. 

“Come on,” Shiro urged as he turned to climb aboard the ship. “Let me show you around.”


End file.
